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Co-parenting: I failed my child
I chat about single parenting, co-parenting and the blended family a lot on this here blog. But I always try to keep it neutral when it comes to sharing the deets of my own life and situations, simply because my story isn’t only MY story and I want to respect the privacy of all parties involved in our co-parenting journey. So you’ll often find me referencing a friend or family member when chatting about these topics… I mean, most blended families experience the same kind of challenges anyways. But today I need to share from my own personal experience. I need to tell you guys what is on my heart.…
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Matric Dance celebrations: how big is too big?
Depending on where you grow up, your Matric Dance (aka “prom”) evening can be as simple as “just another night on the town” or as extravagant as a wedding. My brown people usually opt for the latter, going the extra mile with the send off, sparing no expense on draping the dining room (for the photos mos), expensive catering and the hiring of high end luxury vehicles to make that special night that much more special. It’s a big night – big celebrations must be had! I totally get and support that. But I guess it’s not for everyone. I’ve had chats with people who were like, uhmmm no I’m…
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Dear unborn baby: you are SO loved, I promise!
Guys, I can speak on this from every level possible… as a teenager, who just did a pee stick test in her best friends bathroom; as a newly wed, who planned to only have kids after a few years of “settling down”; as a well seasoned mother of many, who thought that her womb’s work here on earth is done. I know what it feels like to be pregnant and wonder how on earth you got to this place. I mean, don’t get me wrong, our baby number 3 is totally loved and wanted and this is something that our hearts needed. BUT there have been many times, during this…
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Finding hope in the poop
I was 7 years old when I attempted to wow my 6 year old cousin with my magical powers. The magic act involved making a 2 cent coin disappear. One minute the coin was in my hand… the next it was gone! I was a legend. What my cousin didn’t know was that I had hidden the coin in my mouth (yes, ew), under my tongue. I mean, those are minor details when you’re trying to establish yourself as the coolest cousin in the family. The real magic happened a few seconds later though when I realized that the coin actually DID disappear. I had accidentally swallowed it. Now, given…
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Pregnancy update: when you’re not a spring chicken anymore
So I’m officially 30 weeks preggers today and even though this is baby number 4 for me (kid number 5 for us), I’m still so amazed every time the little pooper moves around in my womb. I mean, there is another life inside of me. It’s such a miracle! The back pain probably originated from the pit of hell, but other than that, the rest of it is definitely heaven-orchestrated. Like, I’m convinced. How am I feeling right now? Well, I was telling a friend that it’s so weird how this pregnancy is vastly different to my previous pregnancies. There are a lot of aches and pains this time around,…
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I’m not that cute anymore
I can’t remember the last time I felt attractive. I blame this on the state of my hair, the aging of my skin, the flabbiness of my body and the fact that I’ve been pregnant three times in four years. I blame it on the umbilical hernia that makes me look as if an alien is trying to escape my body through my belly button. I blame it on hormones, on the stress of life, on the fact that I’m always busy but I don’t always want to be busy so then I stop doing things and then I hate myself for not doing things. I blame it on the…
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How to keep it classy on social media
If you’re a social media maven, like I am (haha look at me making myself sound cool and important), you would know that there are do’s and don’ts when it comes to posting to The Gram or Facebook. I mean, if you want to stay in the safe zone. With that said, you could totally post a whole bunch of opinionated, subliminal updates, with the sole intention of ruffling feathers, and, you know, trying to rub your ex boyfriend’s new girlfriend the wrong way. If that’s your jam, I totally get it. Me, I am not that person, yo. I keep it safe and I try not to start a…
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Things we learnt by accident
Three months ago we were rear ended by a Ford Ranger while standing stationary at a red traffic light. The accident happened at about midnight, on a Saturday night, while we were on our way home to our babies after attending a celebratory supper. The last thing I remembered, before feeling the impact of the double cab, was Chris looking into the rear view mirror and shouting “he’s going to hit us!” The impact of the collision (is it a collision if we’re standing dead still and you’re speeding through the main road – probably drunk – and you end up hitting us?) was so huge that our boot was…
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Confessions of a super woman
I sometimes cringe when people ask me how many children we have. I mean, you never know what their response will be once they find out that we parent and co-parent a collective of four kids. I mean, when it comes to responses, we’ve heard it all. From the “don’t you guys own a TV” (do you know that co-parent means we didn’t physically birth four kids together?) to “yoh, you guys are crazy!” (Thanks) Most of them shake their heads in disbelief (because it’s like, sooo shocking, and stuff) and say “wow, that’s a lot!” I guess they’re referring to the fact that they don’t know where we get…
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The house with many rooms
When I was in my early 20’s, my granny (my mom’s mom), had a “death bed” dream about me. She was sick, in hospital, and during one of our more quiet, melancholy visits, she whispered to me that she needed to tell me about a dream she had the night before. I know it sounds dramatic, but the dream was actually really beautiful and at the time, I was just so honored that out of all the many grandchildren, she would have a dream about little old me, during such a pivotal time in her life. In this dream, she saw me living in a house with many rooms. And…
